Limonium plant named ‘Esm Mirlo’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Limonium  plant named ‘Esm Mirlo’, characterized by its erect, long and strong flowering stems; vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; small purple-colored flowers; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Limonium sinnuatum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Esm Mirlo’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Limonium plant, botanically known as Limonium sinnuatum, grown commercially as a cut flower, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Esm Mirlo’.

The new Limonium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely flowering Limonium cultivars with long and straight flowering stems.

The new Limonium originated from a open-pollination in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador in August, 2000 of a proprietary selection of Limonium sinnuatum identified as Line 123, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Limonium sinnuatum. The cultivar Esm Mirlo was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador.

Asexual reproduction of the new Limonium by cuttings in a controlled environment in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador since August, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Limonium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Esm Mirlo has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Esm Mirlo’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Esm Mirlo’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Limonium:

-   -   1. Erect, long and strong flowering stems.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Small purple-colored flowers.     -   5. Good postproduction longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador, plants of the new Limonium differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Limonium were more vigorous and had         stronger stems than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Limonium were more freely flowering than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Limonium and the female parent selection         differed in flower color as plants of the female parent         selection have cream-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Limonium can be compared to plants of the Limonium cultivar Crystal Dark Blue, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador, plants of the new Limonium differed from plants of the cultivar Crystal Dark Blue in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Limonium had shorter internodes than plants         of the cultivar Crystal Dark Blue.     -   2. Plants of the new Limonium had smaller leaves than plants of         the cultivar Crystal Dark Blue.     -   3. Plants of the new Limonium were more freely flowering than         plants of the cultivar Crystal Dark Blue.     -   4. Plants of the new Limonium and the cultivar Crystal Dark Blue         differed in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Limonium. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproduction of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Limonium.

Clockwise from the upper left photograph: side perspective view of a typical flowering stem;

close-up view of a typical inflorescence; and

close-up view of upper and lower surfaces of typical leaves of ‘Esm Mirlo’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the winter in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador in ground beds in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial cut Limonium production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 30° C., night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 11° C. and light levels ranged from 1,000 to 1,150 foot-candles. Plants were pinched. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical seven-month old flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Limonium sinnuatum cultivar Esm Mirlo. -   Commercial classification: Cut flower Limonium. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Limonium             sinnuatum identified as Line 123, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Limonium             sinnuatum, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 20 days at 30° C. to 35° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About five to six weeks at             25° C. to 30° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; N199D in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Perennial subshrub grown as a cut flower. Erect             and strong flowering stems; inverted triangle form. Leaves             basal. Freely flowering habit; numerous flowers arranged in             symmetrical and moderately dense compound panicles. Vigorous             growth habit.         -   Branching habit.—After pinching, about 80 flowering stems             develop per year.         -   Plant height.—About 110 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 54 cm.         -   Flowering stems.—Length: About 105 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Internode length: About 6.7 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: 139A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 24.8 cm.         -   Width.—About 4.9 cm.         -   Shape.—Narrowly obovate.         -   Apex.—Acute to obtuse.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Crenate, sinuate; undulate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 143A.             Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A; venation, 147D.             Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137B; venation, 146C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Compound cymes with numerous             flowers; flowers actinomorphic and symmetrical. Very freely             flowering, about 1,100 flowers per inflorescence. Flowers             face mostly upright.         -   Flowering response.—In Ecuador, plants flower year round.             Plants begin flowering about 17 weeks after planting.         -   Post-production longevity.—As a cut flower, flowers last for             about two weeks. Corolla self-cleaning; calyx persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 103 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 34 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 6.5 mm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 1.4 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Shape: Ellipsoidal. Color: Apex: 77B. Mid-section: 149D.             Base: 144B.         -   Corolla.—Petals per flower: Five. Petal length: About             1.2 cm. Petal width: About 3 mm. Petal shape: Triangular.             Petal apex: Emarginate. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; membraneous.             Petal color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: 149D;             towards the base, close to 155D. Fully opened, upper and             lower surfaces: 157C; towards the base, close to 155D.         -   Calyx.—Sepals per flower: Five. Length: About 1.4 cm. Width:             About 9 mm. Shape: Salverform. Sepal apex: Fringed. Sepal             margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Sepal color: When opening, upper surface:             83D; throat, 149D. When opening, lower surface: N81B, tube,             145D. Fully opened, upper surface: 84D; throat, 144B. Fully             opened, lower surface: N81C; tube, N144D.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 33 cm. Diameter: With wings, about             1.5 cm; without wings, about 6 mm. Strength: Strong. Angle:             About 32° from vertical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             139A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five.             Anther shape: Rounded. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther             color: 154D. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: 154D.             Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About             9 mm. Style length: About 7 mm. Style color: Close to 155D.             Stigma shape: Filiform. Stigma color: Close to 155D. Ovary             color: 144D.         -   Seeds.—Seed development has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Limonium have been     observed to be resistant to Botrytis. Plants have not been shown to     be resistant to pests and other pathogens common to Limonium. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Limonium have been observed     to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct Limonium plant named ‘Esm Mirlo’ as illustrated and described. 